The present invention relates to an inflation device for flotation life preservers, and in particular to a device of the type which is automatically activated upon impact by water.
Inflation devices of this type are normally used for inflatable marine life preservers, in particular for use in life vests or collars of such type that when an emergency arises, they are capable of automatic inflation upon immersion in water. This type of inflation device is particularly needed where the person who is wearing, for example, a life vest, is prevented or unable to manually activate the inflation step in order to inflate the vest.
From the prior art, an inflation device of the afore-mentioned type is, for example, known from German Patent DE 41 06 435 A1. The functional capacity and/or the state of readiness of this type of device can only be ascertained upon removal of the pressure gas cartridge and then visual inspection of the cartridge and/or the pyrotechnic charge, which are present in such devices. Needless to say, such an inspection, aside from being time consuming and costly, is virtually impossible to be carried out during an emergency when the urgent need arises to put the life saving device into action. Thus, there is the danger that without a prior checking of the state of readiness of the device, a non-functional life preserver is utilized, which can have catastrophic consequences.